Work Text:
1.
The first time Will Solace spoke to the raven-haired kid known as Nico Di Angelo, was in the campus Library. Will had gone into the building to study for an upcoming medical exam and was not planning on basically staring at the skinny boy with an aviator jacket the whole time. However, Will’s life doesn’t always go according to plan.
At first, Will just stared at Nico over the top of his medical book. He’s pretty sure he’s in the chapter about treating broken bones, but it could also be about stitching up surgical cuts. He’s not completely sure.
After about fifteen minutes of staring at the boy, and not actually studying, Will decides he probably should go back to his dorm if there’s a distraction at the library. A beautiful distraction.
Will reluctantly gets up from his table to pack his things, and then he goes to check out the three books he has. On the way to the checkout desk, he bumps into someone as he wasn’t paying attention.
“Oh god, I’m so sorry.” Will stoops down to help the kid pick up the books he dropped. Once Will hands the books back and looks at the kid’s face, he flushes a bright red.
maybe I can ask him to hang out sometime. Yeah. Let’s do that.
However, when Will speaks, all that actually comes out is “Hi, um, I, me, you. Bye.” Which leads to Will’s face flushing a deeper red wine color as he speed walks away from the cute boy with pale skin.
God Damnit. Why can’t I just talk normally around cute guys?
Will doesn’t get his answer that night.
2.
The next time Will talks to Nico is, once again, in the school Library. This time Nico isn’t wearing ripped jeans and his aviator jacket over a black t-shirt. Now, he’s wearing plaid PJ pants, with a baggy AC/DC shirt. His shoes aren’t shoes but slippers, and he has a large thermos, which is most likely filled with coffee if Nico’s twitching is any indication.
All of this is completely understandable as it is currently one am. The Library closes at two, and it seems like both boys decided to get in some late night work done.
Nico, Will notices, seems to be working on some sort of project that deals with Alexander Hamilton as he has about three books on him laid out in front of him, and mini note cards scattered on the table as well.
Currently, Will is sitting at a table close to Nico writing an essay on the importance of African texts for his world lit class. He’d rather be anywhere but here, but he has to finish the essay as it’s due tomorrow or today, and he had put it off until now. He currently has three of the five paragraphs written, and can’t wait to be up in the dorm he shares with Cecil and be asleep. His first class on Thursday isn’t until eleven so he will have time to sleep.
Right as Will starts his fourth paragraph he hears a tiny ‘fuck’ come from the only other person in the library, and he turns to see that Nico had spilled coffee over himself.
Will jumps up, unzips his bag, and pulls out the tissue box he stuffed in there for his cold. He walks over to Nico and taps his shoulder. Nico’s head whips around, eyes hard. As soon as Nico spots will, his eyes go soft.
“Uh, for the, uh, coffee. Um, here.” Will shoves the box at Nico, who takes, giving Will a small smile which makes Will’s lovestruck heart absolutely melt.
“Thanks Will.”
HOLY FUCK HE KNOWS MY NAME!
“Uh, yeah.” And Will once again runs off. This time, stopping at his table to gather his things, and promptly leaves the library. Will can still feel his whole face burning even when he gets back to his dorm.
3.
The third time Will speaks with Nico was, for once, not at the library. Nico was working at the quaint coffee shop that Will had just entered. Nico had on a red apron with the coffee shop’s logo of an espresso cup with steaming coming out of it in the middle. He was working the cash register and Will was very tempted to leave, not wanting to make a fool out of himself for the third time in front of the beautiful boy.
However, it was seven am, Will had a seven thirty class, and his coffee machine was broken. So he really needed this and couldn’t leave.
When Will gets up to the cash register, Nico sends Will a smile. “Hi, welcome to Mischief’s Brewing, what can I get for ya?”
“Uh, A caramel frappe? Largest size you have, please.”
“No problem, Will.”
Will blushes at the unnecessary use of his name, as Nico scribbles onto a cup and passes it to a girl with curly golden hair behind him.
“Um, N-nico?” Will asks, making Nico turn back around to face him.
“Yeah will? What’s up?”
“Well, um, I-“
“Hey, you ordered already, now get out of the way for the rest of us,” A guy says from behind Will. He turns around to apologize but is met with a hard glare from, Will believes, the starting quarterback on their college football team. Then, before Will can get a word out, he promptly shoved aside.
Will rubs his arm, which had hit a pillar, as he goes to the pickup counter to wait for his order.
Will isn’t sure how many more fails he can take with talking to Nico.
4.
The fourth time Will talks to Nico is once again in the library. Will was going over his notes and readings for his medical final in a week when he hears the doors of the library open up and then slowly close shut once again. When the doors clicked close, Will looked up to see who had entered and felt the familiar twist in his gut he gets every time he sees the brown-eyed Italian.
Nico had his messenger bag slung over his right shoulder, his hand gripping the strap. His head was facing down as he looked at his phone, typing furiously with one finger.
Will watched him as he maneuvered his way to an empty table, sitting down, and placing his bag on the chair next to him. Then, Nico tossed his phone into his bag, and a second later he reached into his bag and pulled out mac book.
Will shook his head, exiting the little daze he was in from staring at his crush and went back to studying his notecards.
Even though Will hadn’t looked at Nico since he entered the library, he still found himself constantly thinking of the boy while he silently stared at his studying material.
After twenty more minutes of this, Will decides that he needs to take a walk around the shelves of books. Mostly to clear his head of the Italian, but also because he had been working for an hour and a half before Nico had walked into the library. So, that’s what Will does. He places his phone in his back pocket, after standing up from his chair, and heads off down the rows of shelves.
On his way back, Will notices Nico walking towards him. Which leads to him having a small freak out moment, like usual.
“Hey, Will, I just wanted to apologize for that guy at the coffee shop the other day. Some customers can be real dicks. Especially in the morning.”
“Oh, uh, thanks. It wasn’t your fault, um, like you said. He was a dick.” Will knows his face is red. It always is when around Nico.
They stand there for a couple seconds, waiting for the other to speak.Eventually, Nico does. “ Well, uh, I gotta go. I’m covering Hazel’s shift at the shop. See ya around Will!” Nico waves as he turns and heads out the library, bag flapping against his leg.
Will sighs and heads back to his seat where all of his stuff is. He really wishes he could just talk to Nico, like a normal person.
5.
The next time Will talks to Nico is, again, in the library. It seems to be their designated talking place.
Nico showed up at Will’s table at the library with five books in his arms, and his messenger bag on his arm, nearly falling off.
“Hey, Will, can I sit here? Everywhere else is full and I don’t think I can make it back to my dorm with all of this.”
“Uh, yeah sure,” Will mumbles, a bit shocked that Nico wants to sit with the awkward kid that can’t seem to form a coherent sentence around him. He’s like Marinette with Adrien in Miraculous Ladybug. And yes, Will watches what’s suppose to be a kids show. Apparently, French kid shows are just better than American ones.
Nico smiles gratefully at the blond as he sets his books opposite of him. Once Nico is seated, he takes off the grey beanie on his head and stuffs it in his coat pocket, then proceeds to take off his jacket as it was unusually warm in the building. Not that Will is complaining. So far he’s only seen Nico in jackets and long sleeves. Today, however, he’s wearing a short-sleeved skull t-shirt. Will notices that, while Nico doesn’t seem to work out every day, he does have a bit of muscle. Just enough to make Will even more attracted to the raven-haired boy in front of him.
For the next two hours, the two sit in silence, studying, reading, writing, and just plain working. Will wants to say something, anything, but every time he’s about to speak, he thinks better of it and shoves the idea out of his head.
At the three hour mark, Nico gets up, packs up his stuff, and leaves. But not without a small smile and a “See you later.”
Next time, Will is defiantly asking that boy out, even if it kills him. Preferably after the date, if there is one.
+1
Apparently, for Will, sixth times the charm. He was once again in the library, leaning up against a shelf with a history book in his hands. He can hear feet coming down the aisle, and he looks up to find the boy that stole his heart.
It was a split second decision, but Will is glad he made it.
Will makes his way over to Nico, who notices him as he approaches, and gives Will that same smile he always gets. One that nearly makes Will’s knees go weak.
“Hey Will,” Nico said, standing up from the crouching position he was in.
“Hey, I uh, wanted to ask you a quick question if that was all right?” Will rubs the nape of his neck, a sheepish smile taking over his face.
“Yeah, sure.” Nico faces Will completely, body completely turned to him.
“So, uh, I was. Never mind it’s really stupid.” Will turns to leave, but feels a cold hand wrap around his wrist. He turns to see Nico’s outstretched hand gripping his wrist.
“Come on, you can’t leave me like this. I’ll be wondering for the rest of my life what you wanted to ask me if you do,” Nico jokes.
Will smiles at him. “Alright. I wanted toknowifyoudgoonadatewithme!” Will stumbles out.
Nico blinks at the taller boy, “What?”
Will takes in a deep breath before he repeats what he had just said, this time much slower. “I wanted to know if you would go on a date with me. Please.”
Nico’s smile widens, and he nods his head frantically. “Yes, god yes.”
“Really? You don’t think I’m, you know, weird?”
“Why would I think that?”
“Cause I could never form an actual sentence when I talked to you.”
Nico shrugs, “I thought it was cute.”
Will blushes, and rubs the nape of his neck again, smiling.
“So, dinner, tomorrow at six?” Nico asks.
“I wouldn’t want anything else,” Will replies.
“Good.” Nico leans up and presses a chaste kiss to Will’s cheek. Then he turns around and heads back down the aisle. “See you tomorrow, Will!”
Will couldn’t be happier that he finally spoke to Nico in full sentences.